Breadcrumb

The Presidential Historical materials of Warren "Bill" Gulley are in the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration under the provisions of Title I of the Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-526, 88 Stat. 1695) and implementing regulations. In accordance with the Act and agency regulations, archivists reviewed the file group to identify personal and private materials and non-historical items.

Materials covered by the Act have been archivally processed and are described in this register. Items that are security classified or otherwise restricted under the Act and regulations have been removed and placed in a closed file. A Document Withdrawal Record (NA Form 14021) with a description of each restricted document has been inserted at the beginning of each folder from which materials have been removed. A Document Control Record marks the original position of the withdrawn item.

Employees of the National Archives will review periodically the unclassified portions of closed materials for the purpose of opening those which no longer require restriction. Certain classified documents may be declassified under authority of Executive Order 13526 in response to a Mandatory Review Request (NA Form 14020) submitted by the researcher.

Linear feet of materials: 10 linear inches

Number of boxes: 2

Approximate number of pages: 1,600

Biographical Note

Warren L. "Bill" Gulley was born on November 16, 1922, and grew up on a farm in Southern Illinois. He joined the United States Marine Corps in 1939. During World War II, he was wounded in the Guadalcanal Campaign while serving with the 1st Marine Division in the Pacific Theater. He also served in the Korean War and was later deployed to the Florida Keys during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Mr. Gulley had risen to the rank of Sergeant Major when he began his White House service in 1966 as Administrative Assistant to the Armed Forces Aide to the President. He retired from the Marine Corps after 29 years in 1968 and remained at the White House as an Executive Assistant, and later Deputy, to succeeding Military Assistants until he was appointed as the first civilian Director of the White House Military Office on July 1, 1976. He was also the Military Office’s Emergency Actions Officer and Presidential Liaison.

After leaving the White House in late 1977, he became a partner in an international consulting firm, International Six, Inc. (ISI), with former Nixon adviser Major General Brent Scowcroft, former Nixon aide Colonel John V. “Jack” Brennan, former Postmaster General and aide to President Johnson Marvin Watson, former Johnson military aide Haywood R. Smith, and Dr. Omar Zawawi, the brother of the foreign minister of Oman.

Mr. Gulley authored a book about his years at the White House during four successive presidencies titled Breaking Cover that was published in 1980. He and his wife Nancy had four children and retired in Southern California. Mr. Gulley died at the age of 89 on February 24, 2012.

Scope and Content Note

United States Marine Corps Sergeant Major Warren ("Bill") Gulley was appointed Administrative Assistant to the Armed Forces Aide to the President in 1966. After retiring from the Marine Corps in 1968, he remained at the White House as an Executive Assistant before becoming Deputy of the White House Military Office. On July 1, 1976, he was the first civilian to be appointed Director of Military Office. He also served as the Military Office's Emergency Actions Officer and Presidential Liaison. The latter role involved serving as an intermediary between former Presidents or their family members and the sitting President.

The White House Military Office supports various functions and practicalities of presidential administrations. In his capacity at the Military Office, Mr. Gulley coordinated many different military services including the White House Transportation Agency, White House Communications Agency, the Camp David Presidential retreat, the Military Aides to the President, the White House Medical Unit, and the White House Staff Mess and other hospitality services. He served as Director for a little over a year before leaving public service to be a partner in an international consulting firm.

The materials in this collection consist of one series of visitor reports from Camp David, which is the Presidential retreat in Catoctin Mountain Park near Thurmont, Maryland. The camp, a military installation, has been used as a retreat for the President of the United States, members of the administration, or invited guests since 1942. It was given its current name by President Dwight D. Eisenhower who renamed the retreat after both his father and his grandson. The latter visited as a child and returned on multiple occasions during the presidency of his father-in-law, Richard Nixon.

The reports maintained by Mr. Gulley are formatted by date and list visitors and facility amenities. Reports may also include information about the weather, road conditions, meals, issues and problems, anecdotal observations, and distribution lists. Some visits that entailed meetings or conferences include schedules. Head of State visits may include itineraries. Notable visitors include President Nixon and the First Family, Prince Charles and Princess Anne of the British Royal Family, British Prime Minister Edward Heath, German Chancellor Willy Brandt, Romanian President Nicolae Ceaușescu, and astronauts from Skylab II and later Apollo missions.

Series Description

Boxes: 1-2Series: Camp David Visit Reports, 1969-1974 Spans: January 1969-August 1974Description: The series is arranged chronologically by year. Within each year, the reports are arranged in reverse chronological order. The reports describe the visits by the President, First Family, Heads of State, and White House administration staff members to Camp David. In some instances, schedules and itineraries are included.